Automotive vehicle with folding tailgate

ABSTRACT

An illustrative folding tailgate for an automotive vehicle includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are rotatably connected to one another. A first latch may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to engage with a complementary latch part at a first portion of a vehicle to lock the tailgate in a closed position. A guide member may be attached to the first wall portion and configured to move along a rail disposed at a rear of the automotive vehicle, the guide member configured to move along the rail in a manner constrained by the rail. A rotatable connection mechanism may be attached to the second wall portion and configured to attach to a second portion of a vehicle. The tailgate may be configured to open and close via folding movement of the first and second wall portions relative to one another.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present disclosure claims the benefit of priority of co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/899,076, filed on Jun. 11, 2020, andentitled “AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE WITH FOLDING TAILGATE,” the contents ofwhich are incorporated in full by reference herein.

INTRODUCTION

The present disclosure relates to tailgates for automotive vehicles.

The statements in this section merely provide background informationrelated to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Automotive vehicles typically have a storage area, which may betypically located in the rear of the vehicle. Some types of automotivevehicles, including trucks such as without limitation pickup trucks, mayhave an open storage area, referred to as a storage bed, cargo bed, orsimply a bed. In such vehicles, access to the bed is provided via atailgate located at a rear portion of the bed, which opens by rotatingbackward and downward to rest in a horizontal position. A tailgate isconnected to the vehicle by hinges at opposing sides of the base of thetailgate to allow for opening and closing.

Referring to FIG. 1, a currently-known vehicle 101 includes aconventional tailgate 105. The vehicle 101 includes a bed 103 and theconventional tailgate 105. The conventional tailgate 105 has one or morehinges 107. The hinges 107 allow the tailgate 105 to rotate about 90degrees or so from a closed position (shown in FIG. 1) out and away fromthe bed 103 to an open position where the tailgate 105 is disposedhorizontally. The tailgate 105 encloses an area of the bed 103 when thetailgate 105 is in an upright (that is, closed) position. When theconventional tailgate 105 is in a down (that is, open) position, itsthen rear facing edge protrudes rearward from the vehicle bed 103 by adistance—such as, for example, 16-24 inches or so—thereby entailing auser to stand such a distance away from the bed 103 at the rear in orderto access cargo in the bed 103.

That is, in currently-known tailgate designs, an open tailgate 105 canhelp contribute to acting as an obstacle to accessing the bed 103because the open tailgate 105 can extend outward in a rearwarddirection, thereby contributing to limiting access to the bed 103.

SUMMARY

Disclosed embodiments include automotive vehicles with a foldingtailgate and folding tailgates for an automotive vehicle.

In a non-limiting embodiment, an illustrative automotive vehicle with afolding tailgate includes a bed, a rail positioned along an edge of thebed, and a folding tailgate at a back of the bed. The folding tailgateincludes: a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the first wallportion and the second wall portion being rotatably connected to oneanother; a first latch attached to the first wall portion; a guidemember attached to the first wall portion and configured to move alongthe rail in a manner that is constrained by the rail; a rotatable latchattached to the second wall portion; and a first hinge attached to thesecond wall portion and movably attachable to the vehicle.

In another non-limiting embodiment, an illustrative folding tailgate foran automotive vehicle includes a first wall portion and a second wallportion, the first wall portion and the second wall portion beingrotatably connected to one another. A first latch is attached to thefirst wall portion. A guide member is attached to the first wall portionand is configured to move along a rail disposed at a rear of a vehicle,the guide member being configured to move along the rail in a mannerconstrained by the rail. A rotatable latch is fixedly attached to thesecond wall portion. A first hinge is attached to the second wallportion and is movably attachable to the vehicle.

In another non-limiting embodiment, another illustrative foldingtailgate for an automotive vehicle includes a first wall portion and asecond wall portion, the first wall portion and the second wall portionbeing rotatably connected to one another. A first latch is attached tothe first wall portion and is configured to engage with a complementarylatch part at a first portion of an automotive vehicle to lock thetailgate in a closed position at the automotive vehicle. A guide memberis attached to the first wall portion and is configured to move along arail disposed at a rear of the automotive vehicle, the guide memberbeing configured to move along the rail in a manner constrained by therail. A rotatable connection mechanism is attached to the second wallportion and is configured to attach to a second portion of an automotivevehicle, the tailgate being configured to open and close via foldingmovement of the first wall portion and the second wall portion relativeto one another.

Further features, advantages, and areas of applicability will becomeapparent from the description provided herein. It should be understoodthat the description and specific examples are intended for purposes ofillustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the presentdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, withemphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of thedisclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with a conventional tailgate.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of an illustrative foldingtailgate.

FIGS. 3A-3C are perspective views of another illustrative foldingtailgate.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an illustrative rail for a foldingtailgate.

FIG. 5A is a plan view of another illustrative folding tailgate.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the folding tailgate of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a side plan view in partial perspective of an illustrativesliding roller hinge for a folding tailgate.

FIG. 6B is a front plan view of the sliding roller hinge of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a plan view of an illustrative rotatable latch for a foldingtailgate.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of an illustrative holder for therotatable latch of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is a perspective view of the rotatable latch of FIG. 7A beingheld by the holder of FIG. 7B.

FIG. 8A is a plan view of an illustrative rotatable latch for a foldingtailgate.

FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an illustrative holder for therotatable latch of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a perspective view of the rotatable latch of FIG. 8A beingheld by the holder of FIG. 8B.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a vehicle with an illustrative tailgate.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings generally indicate likeelements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely illustrative in nature and is notintended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It willbe noted that the first digit of three-digit reference numbers and thefirst two digits of four-digit reference numbers correspond to the firstdigit of one-digit figure numbers and the first two digits of two-digitfigure numbers, respectively, in which the element first appears.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an illustrative folding tailgate 205according to the disclosure. In this example, tailgate 205 may have twoparts—a first (e.g., sliding) wall portion 209 and a second (e.g.,rotating) wall portion 211. The first wall portion 209 and second wallportion 211 are movable relative to one another and connected to oneanother, e.g., via a centrally located hinge mechanism 214 (e.g., one ormore hinges) that joins them, and their movement may be constrained andguided by a guide member 225 connected to the first wall portion 209 ata bottom thereof, e.g., a translating hinge such as a sliding hinge orrolling hinge, e.g., with one or more bearings, for example, that ridesin or along a rail or track 217 positioned at a bottom rear edge of thebed 203. The rail or track 217 is shown in dotted line in FIG. 2B sinceit is hidden from the perspective of the bed 203.

A width W1 of first wall portion 209 in a horizontal side-to-sidedirection may be the same as a width W2 of the second wall portion 211in such horizontal direction (left to right direction). First wallportion 209 and second wall portion 211 may also have a same thicknessT1 in a front-to-rear direction and a same height H1 in an uprightdirection (e.g., upright when the tailgate 205 is closed). Thedimensions of W1, W2, H1 and T1 may depend on a height and a lateralwidth of the bed 203 and can be suitably chosen accordingly. Forexample, for a bed 203 with a width in a range of about 48-72 inches anda height of about 18-30 inches, W1 and W2 may each be in a range ofabout 24-36 inches, H1 may be in a range of about 18-30 inches, and T1may be in a range of about 3-6 inches. These dimensions are merelyillustrative, and other dimensions may be used. Second wall portion 211may include one or more brackets 216 that connect to a sidewall 203A ofbed 203 via one or more side hinge mechanisms 218 (e.g., one or morehinges). The tailgate 205 and sidewall of the bed 203 may also include alatching mechanism for locking the tailgate 205 in a closed position,e.g., comprising a latch 221 that mates with a complementary latch partat a sidewall of the bed 203. The latch 221 may be controllable by amanual button or other release mechanism at handle 213, or via anysuitable powered mechanism, such as an electromechanical actuator.

FIG. 2A shows tailgate 205 in a closed position. In a closed position,first wall portion 209 and second wall portion 211 may contact eachother along a split line 212, the split line 212 illustrating a boundarybetween the first wall portion 209 and the second wall portion 211 whenthe tailgate 205 is in a closed position. FIG. 2B shows tailgate 205 ina partially open position, as viewed from the bed 203. In an openposition, first wall portion 209 and second wall portion 211 may rotateaway from each other at a split line 212 via one or more centrallylocated hinge mechanisms 214 that connect the first wall portion 209 andthe second wall portion 211. When open, tailgate 205 may provide accessto bed 203. In an open position of tailgate 205, first wall portion 209may slide along the edge of the bed 203 and rotate away from the bed203, while the second wall portion 211 rotates away from the bed 203.The first wall portion 209 and second wall portion 211 may fold towardone another in an opening movement such that center-side portionsthereof move outward (rearward) from the bed 203, in an accordion-likefashion, thereby opening the tailgate 205 and enabling access to the bed203 such that the user may have access while standing at a rear bumper210 of the vehicle 201 instead of having to stand away from the bumper210.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, first wall portion 209may slide toward the second wall portion 211, while second wall portion211 may rotate without undergoing sliding motion. In this example, ahandle 213 may be positioned on first wall portion 209. In the exampleillustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, first wall portion 209 may be on theleft side of the vehicle 201, while second wall portion 211 may be onthe right side of the vehicle 201. In another example, first wallportion 209 may be on the right side of the vehicle 201, while secondwall portion 211 may be on the left side of the vehicle 201. Two handles213 may be used—one handle 213 on first wall portion 209, and anotherhandle 213 on second wall portion 211.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate an example of a folding tailgate 305according to the disclosure that is like the illustrative tailgate 205shown in the example of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Similar to the example of FIGS.2A and 2B, vehicle 301 may be equipped with a bed 303 and a tailgate305. Tailgate 305 may be a folding tailgate like that described in theexample of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Folding tailgate 305 may have a first wallportion 309 that slides toward an opposing side of vehicle 301 via arail or track 317, and a second wall portion 311 that rotates withoutundergoing sliding motion. The first wall portion 309 and second wallportion 311 are movable relative to one another and connected to oneanother, e.g., via a centrally located hinge mechanism 314 (e.g., one ormore hinges) that joins them, and their movement may be constrained andguided by a guide member (not shown), e.g., a translating hinge such asa sliding hinge or rolling hinge with one or more bearings, for example,that rides in or along a rail or track 317 positioned at a bottom rearedge of the bed 303. Tailgate 305 may have a one or more handles 313located at the center of tailgate 305. FIG. 3A shows tailgate 305 in aclosed position. FIG. 3B shows tailgate 305 in an open position inconnection with a lateral folding and sliding operation, as viewed frombehind the vehicle 301. In an example, to open tailgate 305, first wallportion 309 may rotate from its closed position (position shown in FIG.3A) and slide laterally in a horizontal direction toward an oppositeside the vehicle 301. In this example, second wall portion 311 mayrotate from its closed position (position shown in FIG. 3A) but may notundergo sliding motion. In an open position shown in FIG. 3B, access tobed 303 may be unobstructed. With tailgate 305 in an open position, auser may approach the vehicle 301 from the back and have full access tobed 303 while standing at a bumper 310 of the vehicle 301 instead ofhaving to stand away from the bumper 310. Additionally, with tailgate305 in an open position, an open tailgate may not obstruct a view of alicense plate 315. The tailgate 305 may be configured to open withlateral folding and sliding motion as illustrated in FIG. 3B. Inaddition to opening with the lateral folding and sliding motion asillustrated in FIG. 3B, the tailgate 305 may further open with adownward rotating motion by virtue of hinge mechanisms such as describedhereinbelow, i.e., the same tailgate 305 may be configured to open intwo different ways depending on the choice of the user by virtue ofhinge mechanisms such as described hereinbelow.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a rail 417 for a folding tailgate 405.Rail 417 may have a groove 419. In an example, a first wall portion 409may slide toward second wall portion 411. Attached to a left side of thefirst wall portion 409 may be a first latch 421, e.g., a non-rotatablelatch and a guide member 425, e.g., a translating hinge such as asliding hinge or a rolling hinge. Non-rotatable latch 421 may include aclaw 422 that engages with a vertically oriented striker (not shown)located at inner left side of the vehicle so that the tailgate 405 willlock onto the vehicle when tailgate 405 is in a closed position. Claw422 may be a double claw or single-claw configuration, for example, thatis configured to close on striker from the side or the front, dependingon operation, and may be configured to close manually or electricallywith electromechanical actuation. Claw 422 may be configured such thatsufficient clearance is provided relative to a complementary striker onwhich it latches so that the claw 422 and striker do not jam in a mannerthat might preclude complete closure of the tailgate 405 when closinglaterally from left to right. The latching of the claw 422 on thestriker may be accomplished electromechanically, or the latching may beprovided mechanically, e.g., via a plunger on the tailgate 405 nearlatch 421 that may press against a mating surface at the side of thevehicle when the tailgate 405 is closed laterally, the plunger beingconnected to a linkage that closes the claw 422. Non-rotatable latch 421may unlock from the vehicle when tailgate 405 is in an open position,e.g., via a connector rod of a locking mechanism that is operable via ahandle at the tailgate 405. When tailgate 405 is in a closed position,guide member 425 may fit into a reinforced receptacle at the leftvehicle wall in order to secure the bottom left portion of the tailgate405. Guide member 425 may translate away from the left wall of thevehicle when tailgate 405 folds open toward an open position, e.g., bysliding or rolling along the rail 417 during opening. Guide member 425may have one or more portions 642, e.g., one or more sliding surfaces orone or more rollers, that engage with the groove 419 of rail to enabletranslation of guide member 425 along the rail 417.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate another example of a folding tailgate 505according to the disclosure. In this example, tailgate 505 may have afirst wall portion 509 and a second wall portion 511. A handle 513 maybe allocated at a first wall portion 509. Tailgate 505 may have fourconnections with a vehicle, which may include a first latch 521, e.g., anon-rotatable latch, a second latch 523, e.g., a rotatable latch, aguide member 525, e.g., a translating hinge such as a sliding hinge orrolling hinge, and a non-translating hinge 527.

Non-rotatable latch 521 may be located at the upper left portion of thefirst wall portion 509, which is the translating part of the tailgate505. Non-rotatable latch 521 may lock onto the vehicle to constrain orlock the tailgate 505 in a closed position. To open the tailgate 505,non-rotatable latch 521 may be unlocked from the vehicle by operating,e.g., depressing, a release lever (not shown) at the handle 513 or byoperating an electronic control, e.g., a release button on an electronicvehicle key. When tailgate 505 is in a closed position, non-rotatablelatch 521 may be in contact with a complementary locking portion at thevehicle. During opening of the tailgate 505 as a folding tailgate,non-rotatable latch 521 may release from the vehicle.

Rotatable latch 523 may be located at the upper portion of the secondwall portion 511, e.g., in a cut-out portion of the tailgate thatpermits rotatable latch 523 to mate with a complementary connectingportion at the vehicle wall as explained further below. Rotatable latch523 may lock onto the vehicle to constrain or lock the tailgate 505 in aclosed position. To open the tailgate 505 as a folding tailgate,rotatable latch 523 may provide for rotation of the second wall portion511 with respect to the vehicle and with respect to the first wallportion 509. When tailgate 505 is in a closed position, rotatable latch523 may be secured to a complementary locking portion at the vehicle.When tailgate 505 is opened laterally as a folding tailgate, rotatablelatch 523 may remain secured to the vehicle.

Guide member 525 may be located at the bottom portion of the first wallportion 509. Guide member 525 may fit into a distal portion of a rail ormay fit into a reinforced receptacle at the vehicle when tailgate 505 isin a closed position. When tailgate 505 is in an opened laterally as afolding tailgate, guide member 525 may disengage from a distal end ofthe rail in which it rides or from a reinforced receptacle at thevehicle. When tailgate 505 opens laterally as a folding tailgate, guidemember 525 may translate along the edge of the bed of the vehicle, andguide member 525 may maintain contact with the rail of the vehicle inwhich it rides.

Non-sliding hinge 527 may be located at the bottom portion of the secondwall portion 511. Non-sliding hinge 527 may be connected to the vehiclewhen tailgate 505 is closed. Non-sliding hinge 527 may be rotatablyconnected to the vehicle when tailgate 505 is open as a foldingtailgate. When tailgate 505 is open as a folding tailgate, non-slidinghinge 527 may maintain contact with the vehicle.

When tailgate 505 is operated to open and close laterally in a foldingmanner as described above, sliding hinge 525 may move along the railtoward non-sliding hinge 527, and non-rotatable latch 521 may movetoward rotatable latch 525. Second wall portion 511 may rotate about theaxis connecting rotatable latch 523 and non-sliding hinge 527. Slidingpart 509 may rotate about the axis connecting non-rotatable latch 521and sliding hinge 525, while maintaining connection to second wallportion 511, which may force first wall portion 509 to move towardsecond wall portion 511.

Additionally, sliding hinge 525 and non-sliding hinge 527 may beconfigured to permit tailgate 505 to open as a hinged tailgate in anup-and-down manner (e.g., similar to a conventional tailgate shown inFIG. 1) in addition to opening as a laterally folding tailgate asdescribed above. When tailgate 505 opens downward as a hinged tailgate,first wall portion 509 and second wall portion 511 may move as aninterconnected unit, their planes remaining oriented in an uprightdirection. First wall portion 509 and second wall portion 511 may beconfigured to lock together at the surfaces where they join when closed,e.g., via any suitable releasable latching mechanism (e.g., which may bereleased by handle 513 when operated in a laterally folding manner) inorder to further secure first and second wall portions 509 and 511together when operated as a downward opening rotating tailgate, ifdesired. When tailgate 505 is opened downward as a hinged tailgate,non-rotatable latch 521 and rotatable latch 523 may separate from thevehicle. When tailgate 505 opens as a hinged tailgate, sliding hinge 525and non-sliding hinge 527 may maintain contact with the vehicle. Whentailgate 505 opens downward as a hinged tailgate, sliding hinge 525 andnon-sliding hinge 527 may allow for rotation of tailgate 505 around theaxis connecting sliding hinge 525 and non-sliding hinge 527.

Therefore, the combination of non-rotatable latch 521, rotatable latch523, sliding hinge 525, and non-sliding hinge 527 may allow for tailgate505 to operate both as a laterally folding tailgate and as a hingedtailgate, such as illustrated in FIGS. 3B and 3C. This design may helpcontribute to allowing for a combination of benefits of each design.When tailgate 505 opens as a folding tailgate, an unobstructed access tothe bed of the vehicle may be provided. Furthermore, an unobstructedview of the license plate may be provided. When tailgate 505 opens as ahinged tailgate, it may provide for additional seating area and for asupport surface for placement or removal of items to or from the bed ofthe vehicle. Separate control buttons or releases may be provided at thehandle(s) 513 of the tailgate 505 so as to control which mode ofopening/closing—lateral folding or up-and-down hinged motion—as desired.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an example of a sliding hinge 625, made of asuitable metal alloy such as steel, for example, for a folding tailgate,which may be located at position of sliding hinge 525 of FIGS. 5A and5B. Sliding hinge 625 may have a support plate 631 that attaches to thetailgate with fasteners 655, such as screws, bolts, rivets, welds, orany suitable fastener. There may be one, or two, or three, or a largernumber of fasteners 655. For example, in some embodiments four fastenersmay be used. Support plate 631 may be connected to a stationary shaft633 of the sliding hinge 625. Sliding hinge 625 may have a rotatableshaft 635, which may be connected to the stationary shaft 633 using aswivel joint 637. A distal portion 639 of rotatable shaft 635, e.g.,which may have a second diameter smaller than that of the rotatableshaft 635 closer to the swivel joint 637 and which may protrudelongitudinally along a rotation axis of the of the rotatable shaft 635,may carry a slider 641, e.g., which may protrude perpendicularly fromthe longitudinal direction (rotational axis) of rotating shaft 635.

When the tailgate is operated as a laterally folding tailgate, slider641 inserted into the rail of the tailgate may slide along the groove ofthe rail. The slider 641 may have contact surfaces 642 that ride alongsuch groove. The slider 641 may also carry rollers such as shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B at 525.

When the tailgate is operated as a hinged tailgate that rotates downwardto open, rotatable shaft 635 may rotate in the direction shown by thearrow in FIG. 6A with respect to the stationary shaft 633 around theswivel joint 637.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate an example of a rotatable latch 723,which may be positioned near an upper right corner of folding tailgate705. Rotatable latch 723 may be fixedly attached to a second wallportion 711 a, e.g., inset from an outer edge of right side of tailgate705. First wall portion 709 may be connected to second wall portion 711such as described previously herein. Rotatable latch 723 may be engagedwith a rotatable latch holder 743. Rotatable latch holder 743 may befixedly attached to the vehicle, e.g., with fasteners such as describedelsewhere herein. Rotatable latch holder 743 may have a roller housing745 and a roller 747 or striker to which rotatable latch 723 connect asdiscussed further in connection with FIGS. 8A-8C. A non-sliding hinge727 may be provided below rotatable latch 723 at a same side of thesecond wall portion 711 and adjacent to a bottom edge of the second wallportion 711.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C illustrate an example of a rotatable latch 823 fora folding tailgate. Rotatable latch 823 may engage with a rotatablelatch holder 843. Rotatable latch holder 843 may have a roller housing845 and a roller 847 or striker. Rotatable latch holder 843 may have twoor more bolts 849 for fastening to the vehicle. Rotatable latch 823 mayhave a stud bolt 851 which when extended (as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C)permits the rotatable latch 823 to be locked. When rotatable latch 823is locked, tailgate may open as a laterally folding tailgate, but maynot open downwardly as a hinged tailgate. When stud bolt 851 isretracted (not shown), the rotatable latch 823 may be unlocked. Whenrotatable latch 823 is unlocked, tailgate may open downwardly as ahinged tailgate. Rotatable latch 823 may have a nose portion 857 and abridge portion 859 attached to a base portion 861. Rotatable latch 823may have a latch housing 863 and a plunger 865 that cooperates with alock 867 to lock and release rotatable latch 823, e.g., via a linkageoperated by a handle such as handle 313/513, or the latch may beoperated electrically with electromechanical actuation.

FIG. 9 illustrates another example of a folding tailgate 905. In anexample, tailgate 905 for a vehicle 901 may have a transverse first(e.g., sliding) wall portion 969 and a transverse second (e.g.,rotating) wall portion 971. In this example, a split line 973 betweenthe transverse sliding first wall portion 969 and the transverserotating second wall portion 971 may be horizontal. In this example,when the tailgate 905 opens as a folding tailgate, the tailgate 905 mayopen downward such that the top edge of the transverse sliding part 969may stay over the bottom edge of the transverse rotating second wallportion 971.

Various disclosed tailgates may have a hinge at the midpoint to allowthe structure to fold in half and slide along a railing along the planeperpendicular to the fold. It also can hinge along the railing, like atraditional tailgate. Each of the four corner hinges may have separateboundary conditions. One may release for traditional tailgate drop andfor sliding motion. Another may release for traditional tailgate dropand rotate during sliding motion. Another may hinge for traditional dropand release and slide laterally. Another may hinge for traditional dropand rotate during sliding motion. In addition, another example couldhave the system slide up and down instead of left and right. Themovement of the tailgate in this manner may help contribute toincreasing the ease of access to the truck bed, but more specificallymay help contribute to preventing obstruction from the bed storage bin.Because such a tailgate slides, it could easily be moved with one hand,like the sliding door on a minivan.

The rolling mechanisms and hinges can be made from suitable materialssuch as steel, aluminum alloy, composite materials, plastics, andcombinations thereof selected for their performance related to variousfactors such as, without limitation, potential wear and tear, forces towhich they may be subjected, and the like.

In the descriptions above and in the claims, phrases such as “at leastone of” or “one or more of” may occur followed by a conjunctive list ofelements or features. The term “and/or” may also occur in a list of twoor more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitlycontradicted by the context in which it is used, such a phrase isintended to mean any of the listed elements or features individually orany of the recited elements or features in combination with any of theother recited elements or features. It should also be understood that asused in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow,the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the descriptionherein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in”includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Finally, as used in the description herein and throughout the claimsthat follow, the meanings of “and” and “or” include both the conjunctiveand disjunctive and may be used interchangeably unless the contextexpressly dictates otherwise; the phrase “exclusive or” may be used toindicate situation where only the disjunctive meaning may apply. Inaddition, as used in the description herein and throughout the claimsthat follow, the meaning of “about” and/or “approximately” refers to±10% of the quantity indicated, unless otherwise indicated. In addition,use of the term “based on,” above and in the claims is intended to mean,“based at least in part on,” such that an unrecited feature or elementis also permissible.

The subject matter described herein can be embodied in systems,apparatus, methods, and/or articles depending on the desiredconfiguration. The implementations set forth in the foregoingdescription do not represent all implementations consistent with thesubject matter described herein. Instead, they are merely some examplesconsistent with aspects related to the described subject matter.Although a few variations have been described in detail above, othermodifications or additions are possible. Additional features and/orvariations can be provided in addition to those set forth herein. Forexample, the implementations described above can be directed to variouscombinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and/orcombinations and subcombinations of several further features disclosedabove. Other implementations may be within the scope of the followingclaims.

While the disclosed subject matter has been described in terms ofillustrative embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in theart that various modifications can be made thereto without departingfrom the scope of the claimed subject matter as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tailgate for an automotive vehicle, the tailgate comprising: a wall portion; and a translating hinge attached to the wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along a guide, positioned along an edge of a bed of the automotive vehicle, in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle.
 2. The tailgate of claim 1, further comprising a second wall portion rotatably connected to the wall portion, the wall portion and the second wall portion being adapted to fold together while the translating hinge moves along the guide toward a side of the automotive vehicle.
 3. The tailgate of claim 2, further comprising at least one hinge rotatably connecting the wall portion to the second wall portion, the at least one hinge adapted to fold the wall portion and the second wall portion together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.
 4. The tailgate of claim 1, wherein the guide is selected from one of a rail and a track adapted to constrain translation of the translating hinge thereto.
 5. The tailgate of claim 1, wherein the translating hinge comprises a stationary shaft having an axis, a rotatable shaft having the same axis, a swivel joint, a slider holder, and a slider.
 6. The tailgate of claim 1, further comprising: a non-rotatable latch adapted to connect a corner of the first wall portion to a side of the automotive vehicle; and a handle adapted to (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and the translating hinge from the side to allow the first wall portion to move along the guide.
 7. The tailgate of claim 1, wherein the guide comprises a groove adapted to receive a portion of the translating hinge chosen from a slider and a roller.
 8. A tailgate for an automotive vehicle, the tailgate comprising: a first wall portion; and a second wall portion rotatably connected to the first wall portion, the first wall portion and the second wall portion being adapted to fold together toward a side of the automotive vehicle.
 9. The tailgate of claim 8, further comprising at least one hinge rotatably connecting the first wall portion to the second wall portion, the at least one hinge adapted to fold the first wall portion and the second wall portion together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.
 10. The tailgate of claim 8, further comprising a translating hinge attached to the first wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along a guide, positioned along an edge of a bed of the automotive vehicle, in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the first wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle.
 11. The tailgate of claim 10, wherein the guide is selected from one of a rail and a track adapted to constrain translation of the translating hinge thereto.
 12. The tailgate of claim 8, further comprising a rotatable latch adapted connected to a corner of the second wall portion, the rotatable latch adapted to (1) and rotate the second wall portion, relative to the side of the automotive vehicle, while the first wall portion and the second wall portion fold together toward the side of the automotive vehicle, (2) release the second wall portion, from the side of the automotive vehicle, into a hinged open position, and (3) hold the second wall portion, relative to the side of the automotive vehicle, in a closed position.
 13. The tailgate of claim 12, wherein the rotatable latch comprises a roller housing and a roller.
 14. The tailgate of claim 12, further comprising: a translating hinge attached to the first wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along a guide, positioned along an edge of a bed of the automotive vehicle, in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the first wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle; a non-rotatable latch adapted to connect a corner of the first wall portion to another side of the automotive vehicle; and a handle adapted to (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch and the rotatable latch to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and translating hinge to allow the first wall portion and the second wall portion to fold together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.
 15. A vehicle, comprising a guide positioned along an edge of the bed; and a tailgate, comprising: a wall portion, and a translating hinge attached to the wall portion, the translating hinge being adapted to (1) move along the guide in a manner that is constrained by the guide and (2) rotate the wall portion into a hinged open position relative to a bed of the automotive vehicle.
 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the tailgate further comprises a second wall portion rotatably connected to the wall portion, the wall portion and the second wall portion being adapted to fold together while the translating hinge moves along the guide toward a side of the automotive vehicle.
 17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the tailgate further comprises at least one hinge rotatably connecting the wall portion to the second wall portion, the at least one hinge adapted to fold the wall portion and the second wall portion together toward the side of the automotive vehicle.
 18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the guide is selected from one of a rail and a track adapted to constrain translation of the translating hinge thereto.
 19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the translating hinge comprises a stationary shaft having an axis, a rotatable shaft having the same axis, a swivel joint, a slider holder, and a slider.
 20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the tailgate further comprises: a non-rotatable latch adapted to connect a corner of the first wall portion to a side of the automotive vehicle; and a handle adapted to (1) release, under a first condition, the non-rotatable latch from the side to allow the tailgate to rotate to the hinged open position and (2) release, under a second condition, the non-rotatable latch and the translating hinge from the side to allow the first wall portion to move along the guide. 